


Approximations

by carolinecrane



Series: down is where we came from [13]
Category: Glee
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-28
Updated: 2010-09-28
Packaged: 2017-10-12 06:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/122052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one thing Will Schuester taught him was how to appreciate a challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Approximations

**Author's Note:**

> I have been in fandom for many years, so you'd think by now I'd know when a fic crosses the line from strictly gen to preslash with an implied pairing. This thing is currently so one-sided that it's a pretty tough call, though. So for now I continue to label it 'gen', but it's really one-sided Will/Finn. (Rambly Finn-centric nonsense? Can that be its own genre?)

Finn knows Burt's not his dad. Finn's never going to replace Kurt or whatever, no matter what Kurt thought when their parents first got together. And it's not like he ever tried -- at least not on purpose -- so he doesn't feel bad about it or anything. Burt's his stepdad, and more than that, he's a friend, and that's good enough.

Still, Kurt's the one who takes off for New York first chance he gets, then L.A., and Finn's the one left behind. So he tries to pick up the slack where he can, and he didn't grow up around the garage like Kurt did so he can't take apart an engine and put it back together, but he can run the register and make decent coffee, he can pick up donuts and talk to the customers while they wait so they don't get too impatient.

He's getting pretty good at basic oil changes, and he can run through the 18-point checklist without having to look at the actual list every three seconds anymore. He's...competent. Not great, not destined to be a mechanic or anything, but he doesn't get in the way, and he knows Burt appreciates it.

Finn appreciates it too, because school's not free and he sure as hell didn't get any football scholarships after Coach Bieste kicked him off the team -- and yeah, okay, so she let him back on eventually, but it's not like recruiters were going to look at him seriously after that -- so working for Burt when he can at least makes him feel a little less like he's taking charity by letting Burt help him out with school.

He doesn't spend as much time in the shop as he'd like, mostly because school and play rehearsals take up a lot of his free time, and Burt insists that his homework comes first. But once he's done with everything but finals he has more time to hang around the shop, his Sports Studies book open on the counter as he rings up a customer and hands over his keys.

Once the guy's gone Finn turns back to his book, flipping through the chapters that are covered on the final. He knows this stuff pretty well, so he's not worried. It's sort of the reason he settled on Recreation as his concentration when they finally forced him to pick one. It was never his dream to be a gym teacher, but he'd be a pretty good football coach, and he knows it wouldn't be much of a challenge for him to run a successful school sports program.

That's the thing, though: It wouldn't be much of a challenge. And it's not like he's looking to do things the hard way or anything, but the one thing Schue and Glee taught him was that without a challenge, there was never much in the way of a reward.

He's been thinking about it ever since Will brought up the idea of him teaching Drama. At first Finn just kind of blew it off, because it would mean putting off graduation and taking a bunch of theater classes, for one thing. And he knows Burt and his mom would support him if he decides to do it, but he's already spent a lot of time dragging his feet, and he doesn't want to let them down.

Still, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about it. It doesn't help that he keeps hearing Will's voice in his head, saying _you're really good at this_ with that smile like Will actually believes in him.

Finn grins at the memory, warmth spreading across his skin, up his neck and all the way down to his toes. Just from picturing Will's smile, and wow, he is completely screwed. He doesn't hear the shop door open, so it's not until there's someone standing right in front of him that he realizes he's not alone.

"Finn?"

When he looks up Will's standing there, kinda smiling like he's glad to see Finn, but pretty surprised to find him here. Finn blushes and then tries to will it away as he shoves his textbook to the side of the counter.

"Will, hi. I was just thinking about you. I mean..." _Oh, Jesus_ , he thinks, _I did not just say that._

"I had no idea you worked here," Will says, still smiling like the idea of Finn standing around at his job thinking about Will is totally normal.

He wonders how often Will gets that, and who he gets it from. That Angela chick, probably, at least until she saw the cast list for Fiddler. She hasn't been hanging around to flirt with Will much after rehearsal these days, even though she's great as Golde and it's a pretty big part, so she should be grateful that Will took Finn's advice.

Then again, if she was only sucking up to Will to get cast as Tzeitel, then Finn did him a favor by forcing her to show her true colors before it was too late.

"Yeah, I help Burt out when I can. He helps me out a lot with school, so."

"Right, I forgot this was your stepdad's place," Will says, as though Burt's name isn't hanging over the building. Then again, most people see the name 'Hummel' and think of Kurt, so it's not like Finn really has a claim to it.

"So you having some car trouble?" Finn asks, because he figures if he's working, he should probably actually _work_ instead of humiliating himself in front of the guy who used to be his teacher and is totally not his current crush.

"You could say that."

Will grins again, ducking his head and rubbing at the back of his neck like he's embarrassed, and wow, that looks really good on him.

"I'm working on fixing up a 1988 Camaro and I'm pretty sure it needs a new fuel injector. To be honest with you, I'm in a little over my head here. I had a Camaro a few years ago, but it was in better shape than this one."

Finn's not sure what makes him say it. He barely knows anything about cars, let alone Camaros specifically. He opens his mouth to ask what size engine Will's got, but what comes out instead is, "I could help you."

"What?" Will says, like he's just as surprised by the offer as Finn.

"I mean, if this is like a solo project or whatever, that's cool," Finn hears himself say, still talking without his brain's permission and when the hell did that start happening? "I'm not an expert or anything, but I've picked up a little around here. So if you wanted an extra set of hands, I've got some free time."

The last part is the biggest lie of all, but he figures between school and homework and the play, he's got pretty much exactly as much free time as Will. They practically spend all their time doing the same things already, so they might as well spend the rest of it together too.

"Really?"

Finn shrugs like it's no big deal, and it shouldn't be, because Will's his friend and working on cars together is something friends do. Guy friends. The kind that drink beer and talk about girls. And Finn can be that guy -- he's been that guy his whole life -- so it's no big deal. But his heart doesn't get the memo, because it's pounding so hard against his chest he knows Will can hear it from the other side of the counter.

"Yeah, sure," he says. "Burt would probably even let us use the pit after hours if we need to."

"Finn, that would be great," Will says, but Finn can hear the 'but' coming and he braces himself for a brush-off. He looks out the shop window, then back at Finn, like he's trying to make up his mind about something. And Finn knows what's coming, because he's been totally obvious and pathetic about this whole thing.

"I don't want to take up all your time. Are you sure you don't have other stuff you'd rather be doing?"

And okay, that's not what he was expecting. He was expecting Will to sigh, maybe frown like it's really hurting him to blow Finn off, then say something like, "I just don't think of you that way." But they're not talking about dating or anything, so there's really no reason for Will to give him the 'it's not you' speech.

Finn's body didn't get the memo on that one either, though, because the relief that floods him when Will looks at him like he's really scared Finn's going to try to take it back makes his knees buckle. He leans hard against the counter and tries not to blush, then he takes a deep breath so his voice won't break and make him sound like some kid.

"I'm sure. It'll be fun."

As soon as he says it Will grins, wide and happy like the whole reason he came into the shop was to talk Finn into helping him. He's not sure how long they stand there staring at each other like a couple idiots, but when he hears the office door slam behind him the tips of his ears go pink and he turns in time to see Burt walking toward him.

"Everything okay?" Burt asks, glancing from Finn to Will. It takes a second for him to make the connection, but when he does he holds out a hand for Will to shake. "Schuester, right? Guess it's been a few years. Finn tells me you're still keeping the Glee Club going."

"Nice to see you, Mr. Hummel."

"It's Burt. Something we can do for you, or did you come by to see Finn?"

"Will...uh...Will's looking for a fuel injection system for an '88 Camaro. I think we're gonna have to order it."

Burt nods and reaches for the Chevy order book, firing questions at Will he flips through the pages. Finally he comes up with the right part number and hands it to Finn, then he shakes Will's hand again and promises to call when the part gets in.

"You can just let Finn know," Will says, flashing that smile again and Finn is not going to perv on his former teacher in front of his _boss_ , even if his boss happens to be his stepfather. "He offered to help out with my car. If that's okay with you, of course. I wouldn't want to cut into his time here."

"It's fine," Burt says, and if Will notices the way his mouth pulls down into a puzzled frown, he doesn't point it out. Instead he just thanks Burt again, then he flashes that smile at Finn one more time and lets himself out of the shop.

When he's gone Finn closes his eyes for a second, palms pressed hard against the counter in front of him while he waits for the heat in his face to die down. Except when he opens his eyes Burt's still frowning at him, and Finn blushes all over again.

"So you're helping Schuester out with his Camaro, huh?"

It's not really a question, but Finn nods anyway. "I guess so, yeah. I mean, he's done a lot for me, advice about school and stuff, so I figured if he needs an extra set of hands, it's the least I can do. If you'd rather I put in more hours here..."

"It's fine, son. Listen, you better get that order in before close of business or they won't even get around to it until next week sometime," Burt says, clapping Finn on the shoulder once before he rounds the counter and heads through the door that leads to the shop.

Burt doesn't say another word to him about Will or exactly how much Finn doesn't know about Camaros or fuel injection systems. Their dinner conversation consists mainly of Carole running down the list of things she's got planned for Kurt's visit home, with Burt interjecting every once in awhile to point out that Kurt and Puck might have some plans of their own.

And yeah, that's still totally weird, but he figures it's no weirder than him and Will. Not that there _is_ a him and Will, but if there were, it wouldn't be any weirder than the idea of Kurt and Puck.

After dinner Finn announces he's got studying to do and heads down to his room, mostly to stare at the ceiling and relive the five minute conversation he had with Will in a terrifying amount of detail. When he reaches his bed there's a book lying in the center of it. It looks old and kind of worn; the cover's bright green and there's a Chevy logo printed all down one side. It's creased right down the middle, like somebody folded it open and left it that way for too long, and the corners are worn away completely.

Finn reads the title and laughs softly: _1988 Chevrolet Camaro Service Manual_. And he's pretty sure he's developing a permanent blush, but he sits down on his bed and flips the manual open to the fuel injection section to start reading.


End file.
